One of the biggest surprises – and announcements – from Mayor Tom Henry’s State of the City address had little to do with city government at all.Indiana's rank as the 16th most obese state puts Hoosiers closer to deep-fried Twinkies than celery sticks on the healthiness scale.
An annual tally of America's health found that adult obesity rates rose in 23 states over the past year and didn't decline anywhere. That's good news and bad news for Indiana, which saw its rank fall only because other states had rising obesity rates.
Indiana's obesity rate remained nearly level from last year, and the state fared better than its Midwestern neighbors in the study by the Trust for America's Health and the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation.
Ohio, Kentucky and Michigan all scored in the top 10 for highest obesity rates.
Many factors - some conspicuously Midwestern, some universal - contribute to Indiana's obesity rate of 27.4 percent for adults, said Carol Friesen, associate professor in Ball State University's Department of Family and Consumer Sciences.
Indiana's agricultural history means families ate large, hearty meals in the past to fortify themselves for field work. Children walked to school; they played outside; and they even got up from the couch to change the TV channel.
Friesen said lifestyles have changed, but eating habits haven't always changed with them.
"We still have the habits that were instilled in us by our families," she said.
Hoosiers' love of filling meals means the typical Midwestern potluck table often lacks the bright greens and reds of fruits and vegetables. Instead, offerings involve cheese, pasta, potatoes and refined sugars.
"You see a lot of white. You see a lot of yellow," Friesen said.
Hectic lifestyles also mean Hoosiers - like most other Americans - eat out too often and too unhealthily, she said.
The obesity report said the current economic crisis may exacerbate the obesity epidemic as food prices - especially for more nutritious foods - and stress levels rise.
Friesen hopes the recession pushes people to embrace a more community-centered approach to health, such as having schools and senior citizens partner for community gardens.
Kathy Wehrle, a registered dietitian for Parkview Health, said healthy eating and exercise don't have to cost a lot. She encourages those families to get exercise videos to use together in their homes.
That advice also counters two common excuses that families use to avoid exercise - bad winter weather, and the lack of a safe place for children to exercise in an urban setting.
Friesen and Wehrle said there are encouraging signs. An increased emphasis on obesity prevention and awareness on the federal level includes a push for nutritional labeling on restaurant menus.
In recent years, many states have adopted nutritional standards for school lunches and other foods sold a la carte, in vending machines or school stores.
Indiana has not adopted standards stricter than current USDA requirements for school lunches, but it has standards for other foods sold in schools, according to Trust for America's Health.
